A legacy of healthy eating can be one of the best gifts you give your family. Like traditions, healthy recipes can be passed down from generation to generation. Choose the right ones and you’ll provide great opportunities for your family to live longer, healthier lives.

The Network for a Healthy California (Network) offers a number of tips and resources to help take charge of your family’s health. By providing families with healthy recipes, the Network empowers everyone to pass down traditions of health.

Try adding a few healthy and tasty recipes to your family’s legacy, starting with the delicious Oven Fried Chicken with Summer Squash from the Network’s Soulful Recipes-Building Healthy Traditions cookbook:

Oven Fried Chicken with Summer Squash

This recipe adds a healthy twist to a traditional meal by baking instead of frying chicken.

1 cup finely crushed cornflakes

? teaspoon salt

? teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

? cup evaporated skim milk

1 pound chicken breasts, skin removed, cut into 6 pieces

Non-stick cooking spray

? tablespoon vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 medium zucchinis, cut into short strips

3 medium yellow squash, cut into short strips

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine cornflakes, salt, ground black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Place evaporated milk in a separate bowl. Dip chicken pieces in milk and roll in crushed cornflake mixture, lightly coating both sides.

Spray a roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray and arrange chicken pieces on the pan in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes. While the chicken is baking, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic in oil for about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, yellow squash and oregano; continue to cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve each piece of chicken with 1 cup of zucchini and yellow squash mixture. Makes 6 servings.

This recipe is lower in fat because the chicken is baked, not fried. It’s also lower in both fat and cholesterol because it uses chicken breasts instead of thighs. Remove the skin before coating the chicken to reduce fat even more. Serve it with a side dish of sauteed squash and zucchini to ensure your family gets closer to the recommended goal of making half their plate fruits and vegetables! North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.

Celebrity Chef Nikki Shaw hosts “Today’s Flavor” on Sirius XM and was a contestant on the Food Network’s search for “The Next Food Network Star.” For more information on the Network for a Healthy California, visit www.CaChampionsForChange.net.

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